Near Upper Lake in Lake County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Bloody Island (Bo-no-po-ti)

By Karen Key, September 17, 2006

1. Bloody Island (Bo-no-po-ti) Marker

Inscription. One-fourth mile west is the island called Bo-no-po-ti (Old Island), now Bloody Island. It was a place for native gatherings until May 15, 1850. On that date, a regiment of the 1st Dragoons of the U.S. Cavalry, commanded by Capt. Nathaniel Lyon and Lt. J.W. Davidson, massacred nearly the entire native population of the island. Most were women and children. This act was in reprisal for the killing of Andrew Kelsey and Charles Stone who had long enslaved, brutalized, and starved indigenous people in the area. The island, now a hill surrounded by reclaimed land, remains a sacred testament to this sacrifice of innocents.

California Registered Historical Landmark No. 427.
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Lucy Moore Foundation, California Department of Transportation, and United States Forest Service, May 15, 2005.

Erected 2005 by State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Lucy Moore Foundation, California Department of Transportation, and United States Forest Service. (Marker Number 427.)

Location. 39° 8.974′ N, 122° 53.288′ W. Marker is near Upper Lake, California, in Lake County. Marker is at the intersection of Highway

By Karen Key, September 17, 2006

2. Bloody Island (Bo-no-po-ti) Marker

20 and Reclamation Road, on the right when traveling south on Highway 20. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Clearlake CA 95422, United States of America.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 6, 2017. This page originally submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. This page has been viewed 10,569 times since then and 89 times this year. Last updated on June 18, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. Photos:1, 2. submitted on September 24, 2006, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. 3. submitted on May 29, 2007, by Karen Key of Sacramento, California. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.